Lawn table



May 26, 1964 Filed March 31, 1961 R. H. BLISS 3,134,625

LAWN TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Rosa-RT H BL/ss BY M 12/284.

ATTORNEYS R. H. BLISS LAWN TABLE May 26, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1961 INVENTOR ROBERT H. Buss ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,134,625 LAWN TAliLE E-Z. llhss, 218 Eriarcliif Road, East slyracuse, NX.

Filed Mar. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 99,790 1 Claim. (Cl. 297-157) This invention relates to a lawn table and to certain of the supports and elements thereof entering into the construction of such a table.

The primary objects of the invention are: to provide certain novel units of identical structure capable of assembly in pairs to provide rigid supports for the table top and its associated bench seats; to provide such units with alternately usable supporting bases or feet, for supporting the table either in its normal horizontal position or in inclined positions wherein it may be tilted to either side, with one side clear of the ground, thereby to facilitate mowing or cleaning beneath the table, as well as to provide a storage position for the table in which moisture will drain efliciently from the inclined table top and seats; to provide such units in which one of the alternately usable bases also functions as the primary support for the seat or seats; and to so assemble the units with each other and with the rest of the table structure as to provide substantial longitudinal stability without the need for braces' Further important objects are: to provide such units which are of simple construction, capable of integral and economical formation from commercially available angle iron stock, and also capable of easy and rigid assembly by unskilled labor to form the completed tables.

The foregoing, as well as other incidental objects and advantages, are attained by the lawn table structure illustrated by way of exemplification of the invention in the accompanying drawings; in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevation of a lawn table illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention in its usual operative position, and showing in broken lines one of the alternative positions which it may assume, wherein it may be tilted to either side to facilitate mowing therebeneath.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one end of the structure shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation of one of the structural units of the invention employed in forming the complete table structure, this view looking in the same direction asin FlGURE 1.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are both fragmentary elevational views, somewhat enlarged and taken at right angles to each other, of the end portion of one of the cross braces, illustrating the manner in which the bolt holes are formed, in the preferred embodiment.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, the lawn table structure illustrated therein is of the type commonly known as a picnic table, employed for outdoor use, comprising the usual table top, formed in the present instance of the three boards 14)1tl and Ill, together with the bench seats 12-12 also consisting of boards in the instant embodiment, disposed respectively on opposite sides of and below the level of the table top, all in accordance with usual practice.

The boards comprising the table top structure and its associated bench seats, all extend longitudinally of the table and parallel to each other, in accordance with conventional practice, and are thus supported by and cooperate in novel manner with a pair of supports, each generally designated S, adjacent its opposite ends in the present instance. It will be appreciated, however, that for forming tables of unusually great length, it may be desirable to provide one or more additional supports,

3,l34,625 Patented May 26, 1964 similar to and located at suitable intervals between the two end supports S-S shown in the drawings.

Each such support S comprises a pair of identical rigid frame units, designated E5 in its entirety, and one of which is illustrated in detail apart from the rest of the assembled structure, in FIGURE 4. Each such unit may be conveniently formed of an appropriate length of conventional angle iron stock, bent to the desired shape and having relatively angularly disposed rigidly interconnected sections, all as described more fully hereinafter, and all disposed in a common plane.

Each such support S includes a pair of diagonally disposed tabie top supporting legs l616, provided by and constituting integral parts of the respective units 1515. These legs diverge downwardly and generally outwardly from their upper ends. Extending outwardly horizontally from the upper end portion of each leg 16 is a table top support bar 17 which, in the assembled condition of the table, is in a common plane with the corresponding, but oppositely directed bar 17 of its associated unit. As will be seen in FIGURE 3, the table top boards ill, 10 and 10' are bolted to and jointly supported by the respective bars 17 of the two supports S at the opposite ends of the table. Where the table top is thus composed of several boards, rather than of a single unitary top structure, it is desirable that the inner or central board 10 be bolted, as at ltil8, or otherwise secured to the inner ends of the respective support bars 17, and that the outer boards 10-16 each be bolted at a plurality of points 18 along the lengths of the respective bars 17, all for the purpose of preventing relative lengthwise dislocation of the boards by pivoting about their said connections 18, and for rigidly interconnecting the two bars 17-17 of each support S through the center board 10'.

The legs 16-16 of each support S are preferably interconnected and cross-braced by pne or more suitable rigid connectors such as 19 and 20 In the illustrated embodiment these consist of angle iron sections having their ends secured by bolts 21 to the respective legs. As is shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, illustrating an end portion of the brace 20, each such brace 19 and 20 may be formed with elongated, generally diamond shaped bolt holes 21', at the juncture of its flanges, and adjacent its respective ends, for reception of the bolts 21 to permit these bolts to extend in a generally endwise direction relative to the said braces, but substantially normally to the respective legs. The bolts may accordingly extend through usual round apertures in the legs 16-16.

Rigidly connected to the lower ends of the respective legs 16 are ground engaging feet 22 comprising outwardly bent horizontal continuations of the respective legs, disposed parallel to the respective top supporting bars 17. These bases or feet 17 are of substantial length, with their outer ends disposed substantially beneath the longitudinal center lines of their associated bench seats 12. Therefore they will firmly support the table against accidental sidewise tilting even though all persons seated at the table may be on one side thereof only.

The element or section 23 of each unit is rigidly connected to and extends diagonally upwardly and outwardly from the outer end of its foot 22. Supported at the upper end of each said element 23 is an inwardly directed horizontal seat support bar 24. The support bars 24 on either side of the table are thus adapted to support the horizontal bench seats 12, at appropriate positions and levels with respect to the table top, to comfortably seat persons on opposite sides of the table.

It is an important feature of the invention that the supporting elements 23 on each side of the table serve the dual functions of supporting the seats 12, as aforementioned, but also of acting as feet or bases for supporting the table in positions wherein it is tilted to either one side or the other, as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 1. When thus tilted to one side, all portions of the table at the other side are raised clear of the ground, with the table top and seat surfaces substantially inclined. With the table thus tilted to one side, and the other side raised clear of the ground, it will be seen that clearance will be provided to permit mowing of the grass beneath the other side, as well as raking or cleaning. By first tilting the table to one side and then the other, access may thus be freely had to the entire area normally beneath the table structure.

Moreover, during periods of non-use, the table may be advantageously left in its tilted position, in which its inclined table top and seat portions will better shed moisture, leaves, dust and the like.

In order to permit such dual functioning of the elements 23, it is important that each such element be generally rectilinear or otherwise formed to provide a suitable ground contacting base, and that it be intersected medially of its length by a plane (indicated by the broken lines in FIGURE 1), extending perpendicularly to said element 23 from the center of gravity, indicated at G in FIGURE 1, of the table.

It is desirable that the bench or boards 12 may be supported clear of the ground when the table is in either of its tilted positions, to thus avoid rotting or soiling thereof through ground contact. Accordingly, in the preferred embodiment each seat support bar 23 and its associated board 12 is supported from the upper end of its elements 23 in inwardly offset relation by diagonally inwardly directed end sections 26 of the respective elements 23.

It is a further feature of the invention to so assemble the various table parts as to attain a high degree of longitudinal stability, or resistance to longitudinal swaying, without the use of braces of any sort for this purpose, thereby affording further simplification and economy, and affording more leg room for the table occupants than is possible Where the usual longitudinal or diagonal braces are required.

For this purpose, and as shown best in the plan View of FIGURE 3, the two units 15 of each support are disposed in different vertical planes in angular relationship to each other, at an angle preferably approximating 120 degrees. Thus the table top support bars 1717 of each support, as well as its seat support bars 24, ground engaging feet 22, and in fact all other parts thereof, are relatively angularly disposed in directions having substantial longitudinal components, whereby to strongly resist longitudinal swaying of the assembled table.

Preferably the converging ends of the angularly related units 1515 of each support S are directed longitudinally inwardly toward the center of the table, where a pair of the supports is employed at the respective ends of the table, as this arrangement affords minimum interference with or obstruction to the legs of persons seated at the table.

As is apparent from the preceding description, the several units 15 making up the respective supports S are of identical structure. In assembling them in pairs to form the supports S it will be seen that one is merely reversed relative to the other and their inner sides brought substantially together on opposite sides of a vertical plane of symmetry coincident with the longitudinal center line of the table top. Because of their relatively reversed relationship, the flanges of the angle iron stock forming the respective units in the preferred embodiment will be disposed in opposite directions, but otherwise their appearance will be similar as seen in FIGURE 1.

It is thus made possible by the invention to provide supports for readily constructing a lawn table and its associated seats, from boards or the like, in which the supports are composed of a plurality of identical rigid structural units, rigidly interconnected to each other through the said boards to provide longitudinal stability for the table, without the need for braces for this purpose.

Such units are readily and economically fabricated from commercially available material, may be assembled readily by unskilled labor, and also, due to their flat structure, may be readily arranged to occupy a minimum amount of space for storage and shipping.

In this application, I have shown and described only the preferred embodiment of my invention. However, I recognize that my invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and that its several details may be modified in various ways, all without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a lawn table comprising a longitudinally extending horizontal table top and similarly longitudinally extending horizontal seats on opposite sides of but below said top, the combination with said top and said seats of a pair of relatively longitudinally spaced supports, each said support comprising a pair of similar rigid frame units relatively symmetrically disposed with respect to a vertical plane of symmetry including the longitudinal center line of the table, each said unit comprising a plurality of relatively angularly disposed and rigidly interconnected sections all disposed in substantially a common vertical plane, the vertical planes of the units of each support being angularly related and intersecting along said vertical plane of symmetry, the various sections of the units of each support respectively including horizontal table top support bars each connected to and extending transversely outwardly of the table top from adjacent said plane of symmetry, supporting legs depending from the inner ends respectively of said bars, ground engaging feet extending horizontally outwardly from the lower ends of said legs to locations substantially beneath the longitudinal center lines of the respective seats, seat supporting elements, said elements for each seat having outer surfaces in a common vertically inclined longitudinal plane, said planes extending diagonally upwardly and outwardly from the outer ends of said feet, and inwardly directed horizontal seat support bars projecting inwardly respectively from the upper end portions of the respective elements, said seats being supported by the said seat support bars on their respective sides of the table, wholly inwardly of the respectively inclined longitudinal planes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 172,195 Richardson May 11, 1954 D. 190,744 Guice June 27, 1961 2,481,724 Croteau Sept. 13, 1949 2,512,473 Alch June 30, 1950 2,540,254 Garber Feb. 6, 1951 2,740,679 Vizzini April 3, 1956 2,849,053 Beller et al Aug. 26, 1958 2,964,368 Heyer Dec. 13, 1960 

